Golden Gate Bakery at 1029 Grant Avenue, between Jackson and Pacific, has sold Cantonese pastries for more than four decades. It is known for its egg tarts: a flaky crust around a custard baked soft and served warm. The line runs out the door when the tarts come out of the oven.
The bakery keeps its own hours. It closes for weeks at a time, often in winter, with no notice. A long-running fan website and social media account exist mainly to answer whether it is open on a given day. When it is open, the tarts sell out. It is cash only. The coconut tarts, sweet rice cakes, and black sesame buns are also worth a spot in the bag. Call ahead at (415) 781-2627 before making a special trip.
If the gate is down, walk three blocks back south to Eastern Bakery at 720 Grant, at Commercial Street. It opened in 1924, is the oldest bakery in Chinatown, and sells egg tarts, mooncakes, and coffee crunch cake on a far more reliable schedule.